Broken
by Jess.91
Summary: She tried to get over it, she moved away, she started again. But she was broken, scared, and she couldn't run away from it. Especially, not now, not with the baby, the permanent reminder. Piper Centric
1. Starting From Scratch

**Broken**

Chapter 1 - Starting from Scratch

_Summary: She tried to get over it, she moved away, she started again. But she was broken, scared, and she couldn't run away from it. Especially, not now, not with the baby, the permanent reminder. Piper Centric_

Piper Halliwell woke to loud crying, and jumped out of her bed quickly. Moving over to the crib in the corner, she lifted the baby out of it, hugged the three-month-old to her chest and walked slowly towards the door, rocking the girl and making soothing noises.

She didn't mind Gracie waking her up at night, in fact she liked it. The babies cries pulled her back into the real world, one where he couldn't hurt her anymore, where his face didn't haunt her.

"Shh, honey, it's OK." Piper said, shifting the baby to her other arm as she started warming up the bottle. "Nearly ready. Shh." Gracie finally silenced, grabbed a fistful of her mother's hair and clung to it tightly.

As the bottle warmed, Piper sat down on one of the kitchen chairs, hugging her daughter tightly. It was ironic, she knew, the the very cause of all of this was a part of the very thing that gave her strangth, that kept her alive day, after day, after day.

"We're OK, aren't we, Gracie?" Piper mumbled. "We're OK."

It had been over a year now, and she still thought about it daily. But they were better, they would be better. Someday.

Gracie watched as Piper picked up the bottle, tested the heat, the manovered it towards the baby's mouth. Eyes wide, her mouth stretched into a smile, she moved forward to accept the bottle into her mouth quicker, causing Piper to smile.

"Hey, piggy." She said softly. "Slow down a little." Gracie, of course, ignored her. The bottle was quickly emptied, and now her eyelids started to droop. Piper watched as the baby slowly drifted of to sleep, and wished she could do that, just lay down and sleep, and not worry about what her mind would torture her with next. She moved back into the bedroom, settled Gracie in the crib, then laid on her bed and started to read, refusing to go back to sleep, go back to the past, the memories.

Almost a year. That would mean it was almost two since she'd met him, right? Two years since the day he'd walked up to her in the street, told her she had beautiful eyes and that someday he was gong to marry her. She had just laughed, but he'd charmed her into agreeing to a date. Just the movies, no biggy, he'd said. And she'd found herself saying yes. Alex, he'd said his name was, although she now knew it wasn't, his real name, his demonic name, was Zander. That first date he'd made her laugh constantly, showered her with compliments, and bought her a tiny bear on the way home. By the time he'd walked her home and kissed her on the doorstep, she believed she _was _going to marry him someday.

She'd fallen for him quickly, and she believed he felt the same way. All her family, all her friends, thought he was great, and she doted on him. Then, after ten months, where she'd been happier than ever before, she'd found out she was pregnant. At twenty-two, she was initially scared, scared that Alex would leave her, that she wouldn't be able to cope with a baby, a defenceless little person who needed her more than anyone else could. But she soon decided that she could, would, manage, with or without him. And when she'd told him, he'd smiled widly, let out a "Yes!" or joy, and she'd smiled too, relieved, hopefull. They'd be a family, a perfect little family.

She was still grinning as he grabbed her, pulled her close to him in what she thought was a hug - and found herself in the underworld. She didn't know what it was at the time, was just terrified that she'd somehow managed to appear here. And then he'd thrown her to the floor, while she looked around herself in terror and asked him what had happened, where they were. It had been him who'd told her who he really was, explained about magic and demons, and that she and her sisters were supposed to one day be the Charmed Ones. Demons had surrounded her by then, she was terrified, asked him why he'd brought her here, why he'd done this too her. And then he'd explained everything.

He told her how the plan had been hatched just hours before he'd met her, that they hadn't cared which one he'd approached. How he and those who now surrounded her had been waiting for this for months now, waiting for her to fall pregnant, _with his half-demon child. _She was just a pawn in the plan, he wanted her only for her power, ansd the power that would be passed onto their child. He told her he would kill her after she'd given birth, and raise the child to be the next evil leader, the one who would destroy all good witches and good magic, and allow demons to take over the whole world. Until then, she would remain here, in this cave, guarded by demons every single minute of every single day.

_"Don't worry though, honey, we'll make sure you're well looked after. Don't want the baby to be hurtm, do we?"_

She shivvered now, as the memory overwelmed her. She'd been their for three days before Grams had finally found her, bringing her sisters and vanquishing all the demons - except him. Alex - Zander - had managed to escape. The knowledge that he was still out their had terrified her, and when he appeared in her room, several nights later, he warned her that she couldn't hide from him, that he could track her powers, and she couldn't fight him. He'd shimmered out when she screamed, and she'd spent hours convincing Grams to re-bind the powers she'd unbound the day after he'd kidnapped her, so Piper could protect herself. Prue, Phoebe, and Paige all drank the potion too, ignoring Grams' wishes and refusing to become the Charmed Ones. Piper had moved out, and Grams had persuaded the elders, the "bosses" of all good magic, to cloak her from evil. Every now and then she had a visit from a so-called whitelighter, trying to get her to accept her magical destiny, but she refused. Grams or her sisters would call, begging her to move back in with them, but she refused. He'd been to the house so many times, and no matter how often Grams assured her he couldn't get in there now, she didn't feel safe there.

So she and Gracie lived here, Piper in constant fear that he'd come back and take her precious daughter away, and Gracie oblivious to it all, as innocent as any other baby.


	2. Look Forwards

Chapter 2 - Look Forward

Piper woke to find the pages of her book stuck to her face, and her eyes felt tired and sore. She jumped quickly up and looked in the crib near her, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw Gracie looking back up at her. Another nightmare, another morning where she woke terrified her daughter would be gone.

"Hiya." Piper cooed, lifting her out. "How did you sleep, hmm? Better than me, right?" Gracie looked at Piper, then around the room, and Piper smiled - it looked exactly as though the baby was bored. "OK, OK, I'll shut up now." Piper continued, walking towards the kitchen area. "Let's get your breakfast, yeah?"

She fed her, changed her, dressed her, then did it all for herself. Sat on the sofa in the living area, she contemplated calling home, because if she didn't do it soon they worry. Before she could decide however, she heard the all too familiar jingling sound. Jumping to her feet, Piper clung tighter to Gracie and turned to the man who had just orbed into her bedsit.

"How many times do I need to tell you people to leave me alone!" Piper cried angrily. They'd sent a new one, she noted. A guy, this time.

"Hi, Piper, I'm Leo, I'm your new-"

"I know what you are." Piper cut in. "And I'm going to tell you what I told all the other whitelighters. Leave. Me. Alone."

"Piper, I know you think you don't want to be a Charmed One, but -"

"You know, I thought they'd have given up by now. For a year they've been sending different 'lighters here to try and convince me to go out and fight demons all day, plus the family's laying the whole guilt trip on me, and you know what, I'm sick of it. I just want to live in peace with my daughter, and forget that magic even exists. Why can't anyone just accept my decision and leave me to it?"

Leo faltered, unsure what to say now. The elders had warned him she would be reluctant, but he hadn't expected her to flip straight away. Maybe he should have done what he usually did and pose as a handy-man, despite what the elders had said.

"I know you're scared, Piper, but -"

"Damn right I'm scared. I'm scared he's going to come back and take her away. I'm scared that he'll kill me, and my sisters, and Grams, and I'm scared that I'll never be able to get away from it. And what have you guys done to stop that, hmm? Why not send one of your other little witches after Al - after Zander? Why not stop him from doing all of this in the first place? They must have known he was a demon, but they didn't try to stop it, and if they had them maybe right now they'd have their precious Charmed Ones." Piper broke off from the rant, to catch her breath and think of more to say. Taking his opportunity, Leo started to speak.

"You don't wish it had never happened, though, do you?" He guessed. "You don't want to think about him, or how he tricked you, but you wont wish it away because without it, you wouldn't have her" He gestured to the baby in her arms, and could tell by the look on her face that he was right. He'd based it simply on the fact that she held Gracie so protectively, so lovingly. And he fought a smile as her face softened.

"Score one for the whitelighter." She muttered. "What do you want?"

"To help you. Look, they want me to convince you to get your powers back, do what you're destined to. But I don't think you can until you've healed, can you?"

She didn't answer, but he could tell she was thinking. She fascinated him, the whole situation fascinated him. He knew how close her family had been before, he knew how much she'd loved this demon, and he knew how scared she was, how vulnerable she was. He admired her, for battling through this, for still loving the child, despite Gracie's origin. Most of all, he wanted to help her.

"Will you let me? Help you?" He asked her, and she shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know if you can." She said her voice still cold and hard, but her eyes showing how she really felt, the hope that he could take her pain away, the fear, the feeling in them.

"I can. And I will, if you let me." He said quietly.

"You can try." She replied. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to be a witch at the end of it."

"That's your choice and yours alone." He said simply. "I can't force you, and neither can they, no matter how hard they try."

"What do I have to do?" She asked him, and her voice shook with emotion.

"You have to let it go, but I know it's hard." He replied. "It's going to take time, but you have to stop thinking about it, stop dwelling on what happened. You need to see your family again, go back into that house. You need to remember who you are-"

"I can't go back there." She said, and she couldn't disguise it, the fear in her voice.

"I'll help you." He promised. "But it'll only work if you're ready for it, if you'll do it."

"I am. I will." She mumbled. "When can we sta-" The ringing of her phone cut her off, and she reached out for it jerkily. "Hello?"

"Piper, it's Phoebe. Listen, you have to come home-"

"We've been through this. This is my home." Piper snapped.

"Piper, listen, you don't understand-" Piper replaced the receiver before Phoebe could finish.

"You do need to go back there at some point, Piper." Leo said softly, and she nodded.

"Just not right now." She said, looking up at him as though seeking his approval.

"Sure." He murmured. "Not right now."

The phone shrilled again, and Piper frowned at it.

"What?" She asked when she pressed it to her ear.

"Don't hang up again!" Phoebe's voice said. "I wasn't getting at you, it's Grams. She's at the hospital; you need to get here, right now." Phoebe said breathlessly.

"What? What happened?"

"I don't know, she was out with Prue, and Prue just called and said to get here and call you. I'm almost there -"

"I'll meet you there." Piper said quickly, then hung up again.

"What? What's happened?"

"My grandmother is at the hospital." Piper replied, running around and gathering up nappies, bottles ect. and throwing them into a bag. "I need to go there. Now."

"What's happened to her?" He asked, as she put shoes on Gracie's feet and reached for her little coat.

"I don't know. I just need to get there, right now."

"I'll orb you." He said suddenly. "I'll orb you there." Piper looked at him, considering it carefully. as much as she didn't trust his kind - or anyone, really - there was something different about him, and she needed to get there fast.

"OK."

----

"Paige!" Piper cried, running towards the youngest sister.

"Piper, thank god." Paige looked tearful as she hugged Piper and her baby niece.

"What's wrong with her? Where is she, is she OK?" Piper asked quickly.

"I don't know, Prue and Phoebe are with the doctor, I was waiting for you."

"OK, which room, do you know which room?"

"Uh - yeah, this way, I think -" The two of them hurried down the hallway, then stopped when they heard Prue's voice. Piper barely had a chance to realise it had been months since she'd seen any of her sisters, or her nephew, before she realised something. Just a few feet ahead of them, Piper saw the tears on both her sisters face and suddenly she filled with dread.

"No..." She breathed as she and Paige finally reached them.

"She's gone, Piper." Phoebe sobbed. "Grams is dead." 


	3. The Last Goodbye

Most of you picked up on the nephew thing at the end of the last one, I put that there just to see who would. It'll be explained in this one, of course, in the first couple of lines, actually. So I don't really know why I'm writing this bit... I should stop now, shouldn't I?

Oh, and I know it's been a while, but for some reason or another I haven't been on the computer in the last couple of days. But here it is...

Chapter 3 - The Last Goodbye

Piper cradled Gracie as she walked slowly up the isle of the church. Gracie stayed silent, looked around herself with what seemed to be, to Piper anyway, sadness. in the front pew sat Prue, holding tightly onto her husband Andy's hand, her two-year-old son Parker sat on her knee, resting his head on her chest. Next to her, Phoebe was staring into space, her eyes glazed over and rimmed with red, evidently a result of crying. On her other side sat Paige, who seemed to be crying silently. Behind them sat a few more people, Gram's friends, and neighbours, and... Well, that was it. The place was empty... scarily so. Piper liked to be in large crowd, somewhere she could blend in, slip away unnoticed...

She took her seat next to Paige, shifted Gracie so the baby could face the front, for no reason at all, really.

"I can't believe she's gone." Phoebe murmured, not expecting a reply and not getting one. Phoebe seemed to have gone into some kind of shock, Piper had noticed. Prue was... well, she was dealing with it, as far as Piper could tell. But the in the last four days since Grams had died, Piper had spent her time at home, talking to her sisters on the phone. Paige was clearly distraught - she had been less than a year old when their mother had died, and so Grams had been the only mother she'd ever known. She had cried continuously at the hospital, all through the journey in which Prue drove Piper back to her flat. Every time they'd spoken on the phone - which had been often, more in the last four days, Piper guessed, than since she had moved out of the manor - Paige had been crying, or sounded like she'd just stopped. Or been about to start. She was dealing with it badly, and Piper didn't know how to help her. Selfish though she knew it was, she couldn't help but think Prue or Phoebe would have to help her... Piper had her own things to worry about right now. Sure, she was upset about losing Grams, but she was more scared than anything else... Without Grams, how did she know if the protection spells were still in effect? And without Grams, what was she supposed to do if Zander ever did attack?

She felt guilty, too, for being so self-absorbed at a time like this.

She barely registered the words spoken during the funeral, somehow it passed her by in a blur. Then, they were all back at the manor.

She took a seat in the conservatory, as close to the doors as she could, in case she needed to run. It was an amostly laughable thought... picturing herself running with Gracie screaming while Zander fired things at her was almost funny... if it wasn't so serious.

The friends and neighbours soon left, after filling up on the free food, Piper thought cynically. Then she was alone with her sisters, and she waited...

"You know what I'm going to say." Prue said, and Piper just gave a small nod. "But I'll say it anyway. Are you going to move back here?"

"There isn't enough room." Piper replied instantly, and Prue sent her and icy look.

"We'll make room." She said cooly. "We managed before.

"Prue, I've said before, I am not moving back in here. Geez, I'm 25. It's normal for me to have left home now, why move back in?"

"Because Grams wanted you too." Phoebe murmured.

"Don't try to make me feel guilty." Piper snapped. "I moved away because this place isn't safe for me and Gracie."

"Grams has it protected -"

"Had. She had it protected. How do you know those spells will still work? Prue, think for a moment that it was Parker who could be kidnapped at any moment, that it was you who would be killed to get to him. And you tell me that you wouldn't do everything and anything you could to protect him."

"And you imagine that it was me, or Phoebe or Paige who was in constant danger of being killed, and that we were off somewhere alone, with no one to help out if he did ever come, and you tell me you wouldn't want them to move back in."

_Damn it, _Piper thought in annoyance. _She's right._

"I would, I know that. But please, just understand how dangerous it is here, how scared I am..."

"We need you here, even if it's just for a little while." Paige said, looking at Piper with her red, sore looking eyes. Piper knew they were thinking that after a while she'd want to stay here. But she found herself saying yes anyway...

----

Her whole flat was packed up into boxes, everything she owned. And tomorrow, she was moving back there, to the manor, where it was less safe than here.

She threw the last of the wine down her neck, then tossed the empty bottle into the kitchen bin, and picked up another. Gracie was sleeping, and Piper, not knowing what else to do, Piper had opened a bottle of wine and settled down to watch a film. Now, the film was finished and she was on the third bottle.

When she heard the sound of him orbing, she made a loud, angry noise, and turned spun round. Then she got dizzy and had to clutch the worktop to steady herself.

"Are you OK?" He asked her uncertainly, and she glared at him.

"No, I'm not. My _grandmother _has just _died_, my _sisters _are _forcing _me to move back into that _stupid _house, where he could _easily _come and get her, but do _they _care? Um, no. Have they ever? Nope, no one gives a damn what I _think_, or what I _feel _and I'm just expected to go along with everything, and now you're orbing in here _unasked_, _unannounced_, probably to annoy me and make my day a whole lot worse, right?"

"Uh, I just wanted to check in on you." He murmured. "And, um, well if you ever want to talk to someone... well, I'm here, and I care."

"Ha. Sure you do. He said that to me too, you know." She said, and walked unsteadily into the living area and sat on the old battered couch. "Alex. No, Zander, isn't it? He used to say to me that he cared, and he used to listen to me pour my heart out..."

_"It wasn't easy, Piper. Trying to make you fall for me, trying to stop myself from just ending your pitiful life. Listening to you, day after day after day. You used to go on and on. "My sisters never listen to me, they expect me to just do what they say, Grams is always so preoccupied by them and their stuff that she barely notices I exist, and mum, I miss her so much, and why doesn't dad ever get in touch, is it so hard to pick up a phone?" Well get over it, and stop moaning! No one cares about your pointless little woes..."_

"Piper?" Leo repeated, and she shook her head a little, only just realising he was saying something.

"What?"

"I said, I really mean it. I'm not him, Piper." He said patiently, and she nodded slightly.

"Still, he was right. Why would anyone what to listen to me complaining forever... No wonder he couldn't wait to kill me, no wonder he hated me..."

"That was because he was a demon, Piper." Leo said quickly. "It's the way they are, it's nothing to do with you."

"Yeah, right. You're only saying that so I'll be a Charmed One."

"Piper, I really don't care if you do that or not. All I want to do is help you... you're my charge, it's my job."

"You were right, what you said the other day. I don't regret it, any of it... She's amazing, you know? There's nothing like it, when she looks up at me... she's so trusting, like she thinks I'll always be there to protect her... and I know I wont be... I love her so much, and I couldn't imagine not having her. And even though I know she's a part of him... she's just so perfect, sometimes I forget it." Her voice had a dreamy quality now, and he guessed that pretty soon she would fall asleep.

"I don't know what I'd be without her." She continued, laying her head against the sofa. "She... she gives me a purpose, you know? A reason. I can believe that it wasn't such a bad thing, what happened, because I got her out of it..."

"Everything happens for a reason." Leo murmured.

"And she's my reason for everything." Piper murmured back. She smiled dreamily at him, then closed her eyes. After a few seconds he realised she was asleep, he'd been right. He got up and started searching for a blanket, knowing that it would make more sense to carry her over to the bed in the corner, but he didn't want her to wake up as he was carrying her and panic, as he was certain she would. So instead he dragged the quilt off it, and draped it over her.

"You will get through this." He mumbled, knowing that she couldn't hear him. "I promise you, I'll help you...


	4. Plans All Round

Heya guys sorry its been so long. I hurt my wrist at the begining of last week and did "soft tissue damage" (not a clue what it means) and I had to rest it, so no computer. But I'm back!

Chapter 4 - Plans All Round

Piper awoke with a start, feeling strangely uncomfortable. She soon realised why - she was sat on the sofa which was uncomfortable to sit on at the best of times, never mind when she'd spent the night asleep on it. She tried to cast her mind back - why had she slept on the sofa?

Then she remembered Leo coming, and they were talking... Ugh, had she made a fool of herself? Probably.

She threw the blanket off of her, then realised he must have covered her over. Which meant she'd fallen asleep when he was still here, probably as he was talking, right?

Silently scolding herself, she got up and began to move around, getting ready for the day - moving day. Moving back home.

"Why am I doing this again?" She muttered to herself, as she fed Gracie and looked over the boxes scattered around the room. There was no need to move back home, none at all.

Maybe she could just call the manor and tell them she wasn't moving in? Not there, where he knew where they were. No where to hide when he knew the place, and yet plenty of places for him to do so.

But she knew that calling her sisters wouldn't do anything. They wouldn't let her cancel, she had to do it, now.

Several hours later, Piper pulled up outside the huge pink house she used to love. She lifted Gracie out of her car seat, picked up one of her bags as walked up the stone steps towards the front door. She raised her hand to knock, then remembered the key in her pocket. She unlocked the door, stepped forward, and jumped as Phoebe let out a high-pitched scream.

"Piper! You're here!"

"Yup." Piper said, glancing nervously around.

"Prue and Paige have gone to the supermarket, to stock up. Do you need some help? I'll get the rest of your bags. Put Gracie in Parker's play-pen." She added as she walked out of the door, waving towards the empty play-pen in the corner.

Piper put her bags on the floor and followed Phoebe, still holding Gracie. Put her down, leave her alone? No chance.

It was harder to carry them all in, and took longer, but Piper refused to put Gracie down. Finally, they were all in her room and Piper set up Gracie's crib next to her bed, sat her in it while she unpacked.

"Au' Piper?" The child's voice startled her, but Piper turned and smiled widely.

"Hiya, Parker!" She said brightly. "Is your mummy home?"

He nodded, looking around the room. "Gracie." He said, smiling at his cousin.

"Yep, Gracie." Piper said. He moved forward, walked over to the crib and started talking quietly to her daughter.

"Piper!" Prue appeared in the doorway, smiling brightly. "Are you all unpacked?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Piper nodded, looking around her old room. "Well, the stuff I'll need. I didn't want to leave all my stuff at home, but I won't need it all -" Prue frowned, and Piper stopped. "We both know this isn't permanent, Prue."

"It should be." Prue sighed. "I know you don't feel safe here, but you'll get used to it -"

"I don't need to. I have a perfectly good home, and I'm only here to... well, 'cause you made me. To help out."

"You can't live there forever. What happens when Gracie gets older? She'll need her own room?"

"Right back at you. She won't have a room here, either."

"We'll make room." Prue said steelily.

"Prue. I'm moving back in a few weeks, OK?"

"Fine." Prue sighed, but Piper knew this wasn't the end of it.

----

"She's back home." Zander remarked. "I didn't think she ever would."

"So we can get inside the manor now?" Another demon, Carkan,

"I'm not sure." Zander admitted. "But without the old witch around, we can see her again, and it's a start. She can't hide in that place the whole time, and there's a thousand and one places we can kill her."

"And the child? Can you sense her yet?"

"Her powers are bound." Zander said simply. "I don't know if it worked, if she's as strong as we thought she would be. I'd hoped that the binding potion wouldn't have been so affective on her..."

"We can reverse it." Carkan replied. "And start training her. But the questions are still there. How, and when?"

"Soon." Zander replied. "And how... well, Piper's death requires a lot of thought - I'll only get to kill her once..."

----

"Breath deeply." Leo was saying, and Piper breathed in, deeply and angrily. "Remember how you felt while you were there, remember every detail."

"No problem." Piper murmured. Sat cross legged on her bed, eyes closed, and breathing deeply, she felt like an idiot. "But how will it help?"

"Just remember it."

"I remember." Piper mumbled, and suddenly it was like she was there again.

"What do you see?" Leo asked softly.

"Him. Laughing at me. I - I'm confused, I don't know what's going on, what I'm doing here." Piper mumbled, and Leo was alarmed at how scared her voice sounded.

"Shh, it's OK, try to calm down. What else?"

"Uh - uh - it's all dark, the walls are dirty, and they're all around me. Demons. I don't understand, and the way he's looking at me, the way they're all looking at, it scares me. I want to go home, why won't he let me go home?"

"Shh, OK, calm down. What happens next?"

"I - I ask him again what's going on, and he laughs again. I've never heard him laugh like that. It's not - not human. _Alex I'm scared. What's going on? _And he says - says his name's not Alex, he's not who I think he is. He's a demon. I asked what he was talking about, and he told me that I was really a witch, and - and - that he was a demon, that he was the first part in a plan to create ultimate evil life forms. _You fell for it, you actually fell for it, and me, and it was so easy, you stupid witch."_

Leo reached out and took hold of her hands as he voice shook harder.

"He said that now I was pregnant, I had to stay here, and once the baby was born he could finally kill me, and raise the kid. With both of our powers combined, the baby would be unstoppable. Now they knew it would work, more demons could go after my sisters, and other witches, and then the whole world would be in their control. _You are the start of the end._" She opened her eyes, looked at him in terror. "What have I done?" She whispered. Then she fainted.

----

Only seconds had passed, but Leo had held his breath until she'd started to stir.

"Leo...?" She mumbled. "What...?"

"It's OK, you're OK." He whispered gently, lifting her into a sitting position. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Uh... I was remembering what happened... and... Oh, god. I'm the start of it all, she's the start of it all. I never remembered, I never understood, but it's all my fault, isn't it?"

"No, no, Piper, no." He said quickly. "It's not, nothing happened. You have Gracie, OK, you have her and he won't ever get her from you. You are going to raise her properly, she'll be good."

"How do you know?" She whispered.

"Because she has you. There's not an evil bone in you, and that gives her and advantage. Demons like him, they see people like you as weak, and he never thought that Gracie would be like you. He can't get to her, he can't use her."

"The plan - what if they try it on someone else - it worked, it worked on me -"

"No, it didn't. You got away, and he has nothing to show for what he did. They'll have moved on from that now, really."

"What if they do get her? What then?"

"Piper, do you trust me?" He asked her. He was holding her hands again.

"I..." She didn't trust people. Not since him. She didn't trust anyone, not even herself. The only person she allowed herself to be close to was Gracie, she needed Gracie. They didn't need anyone else. But something about Leo made her forget all of that. She looked into his eyes and the answer came without thinking.

"Yes."

"Then listen to me. I won't lie to you - he could get her, he could take her from you. But if he does, I'll do everything I can to get her back. OK? I promise."

"OK." She murmured. "OK."

He smiled at her, knowing he'd just made a breakthrough. He allowed himself a moment - just a moment - to wonder how he had become so attached to this woman and her daughter, so quickly, then forced himself to forget it. It wasn't important. It didn't matter.


	5. Sunset

Chapter 5 - Sunset

The demon started to shimmer out, but ended up sprawled out on the floor.

"It's no use." He said, and Zander sighed.

While Carkan angrily shot a fireball at the nearest demon - and missed - Zander stayed calm. He'd always been the calmest demon he had ever met, and he knew that staying calm allowed you to think. And when you thought things through, you succeeded.

"Can you shimmer into the garden?" He asked, thinking the maybe if one of the doors were left open...

The same thing happened. "No." The demon replied, standing up and dusting himself down.

"OK, new plan." Zander replied. "The direct approach wont work, we can't get in. So here's what I think..."

----

Piper smiled as she listened to Parker talking to Gracie.

"So by the time you start school, I'll be in higher grades. But don't worry, 'cause I'll look after you, and my friend Joe has a little sister, so you can be friends with her. You haven't got a big brother, but I'll still look after you..."

"He's so sweet." Paige grinned, and Piper nodded.

"Yeah, he is. I hope Prue and Andy have more kids." Piper said. "Parker will make such a great big brother."

"Gracie would love a little brother or sister too." Paige added slyly.

"I'm sure she would." Piper replied stiffly. "But, see Paige, the thing is, it's about time we explained this to you."

"Explained what?" Paige asked in confusion.

"Where babies come from. See, you need a mummy and a daddy -"

"Ha ha, funny." Paige replied, hitting Piper's arm with a tea-towel. "I know that. I'm just saying -"

"I know. And I'm just saying that you can't really have kids without a man. So I'm pretty certain Gracie will have to live with being an only child."

"Why?"

"Paige... most guys find it hard enough to be in a relationship, without a baby involved. Plus... I don't know if I could ever trust a guy again." Actually, she did know, and she couldn't. But she wouldn't admit that to Paige, not unless she wanted a well-meant "Move on, get over it" lecture.

"What about Leo?" Paige asked, the sly voice back on.

"My whitelighter? What about him?"

"Our whitelighter, yes. You can trust him. He's a real-life angle."

"And your point is?"

"My point is, live a little. What happened was horrible, Piper it really was, but don't let it screw up your life. You deserve some fun. Need some."

"Fun is the last thing on my mind." Piper muttered. "Grams just died."

"I know. And if you ever needed something to take your mind off of it, now is the best time."

Piper didn't reply, just walked out of the room and up the stairs. "Watch Gracie." She added quickly, even though she knew Paige would have done anyway. She walked into her room, and Leo orbed in right in front of her.

"Don't you knock?" She complained, and he shook his head with a faint grin. She found herself smiling back, without even realising. She caught herself, and forced her mouth back into a straight line. "Next lesson?" She said.

"Yep." He nodded. "Sit down." She sat on her bed, and he sat next to her. "OK... I need you to remember what happened next, where we left off. Can you do that?"

"Yes." She murmured.

"We'll be done remembering soon, Piper." He said softly. "OK, come on."

"I started shaking then. I remember because he laughed and asked me if I was cold in this really patronising way. Then he said that it had been easy to fool me, but not to get through it, for him. _Trying to make you fall for me, trying to stop myself from just ending your pitiful life. Listening to you, day after day after day. You used to go on and on. "My sisters never listen to me, they expect me to just do what they say, Grams is always so preoccupied by them and their stuff that she barely notices I exist, and mum, I miss her so much, and why doesn't dad ever get in touch, is it so hard to pick up a phone?" Well get over it, and stop moaning! No one cares about your pointless little woes..._"

She blinked to stop the tears that threatened her. "I felt so stupid. How could I know have realised it? All those times he said he loved me, why hadn't I seen he was lying?"

"You had no reason to. You didn't know about demons, or magic." Leo soothed. "Then what?"

"Uh, a few of the other demons lifted me up, carried me to the corner. It was a cage, a big cage." She gave a little laugh. "So cliché. The next three days are just a blur. I didn't sleep much, I daren't. I knew he wouldn't kill me, but... I was just scared." She finished. "It was three days before they came, but I thought it was longer. It felt longer, and I had no sense of time, or day and night, down there."

"What happened when your family got there?"

"Uh... The demons started panicking. I didn't know why, but then I saw them. I felt saved, relieved, and also... a little resentful. I thought it had been at least a week, and I didn't think they were going to come. I'd given up by then. The demons started flying all over the place, and there were all these explosions. I had all these emotions rushing around me, and I wanted to get out of the cage. I just kept thinking, I need to get out, and then it just exploded."

"You blew it up?"

"Yes. I saw Zander shimmer out, then the rest of the demons were vanquished. Grams hugged me, and I - I told her I was going to have a demon baby. Then Prue through down a potion, and we were home..."

"How did you feel when you used your power?" He asked her gently.

"Amazing." She replied truthfully. "I felt... powerful. Exhilarated. Just... amazing. But I can't do that, I can't risk her getting hurt." She whispered. He already knew about Zander threatening her, he already knew her reasons. "What if he gets to her?" She mumbled. It was a question she often asked herself, a question she had only ever said aloud to him, and a question that she still had no answers to.

"We'll get her back." He promised. He pulled her into a hug, and she found herself relaxing, rather than tensing. After a few seconds, he spoke. "Would you mind if I orbed us somewhere?" He asked softly. "I want to show you something..." She hesitated, tensed in his arms. "We can leave as soon as you want. Just say the word."

"O-OK." She stammered, and clung tighter as the white lights surrounded them...

The first thing she felt was the change in temperature. It was cooler than her room had been. She opened her eyes, and gasped. The half thought in the back of her mind, that Leo may be taking her where Zander had, was gone. She was stood near to the edge of a cliff, but she hadn't noticed the drop. She noticed the view...

A vast ocean stretched before her, and on the horizon the sun was setting. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and she was memorized. She stared at it for a long time, clinging to him still, then was finally able to speak. "Where are we?" She whispered, still looking at the reddish-orange semi-circle.

"It doesn't matter." He replied. "Do you feel better?"

She nodded, and didn't resist as he gently guided her into a sitting position. Leaning against him, watching the sky deepen in colour, she had never been more happy, more relaxed.

She turned her head to look up at him, smiling like she never had before, other than to Gracie. Genuine, the smile only her daughter had seen since that day in the underworld.

Suddenly, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. And somehow, he leaned forward, without thinking it through, he kissed her lightly.

No one had kissed her since Zander. And somehow, Leo allowed her to forget about him, to trust again. To... love again?

As he broke the kiss, the realisation hit. She loved him. Leo. She loved him.

How could this have happened? How could she have let it happen? Love was dangerous, love hurt. Love didn't last, it wasn't healthy. It was bad...

And yet it felt good. It felt like the best thing that had ever happened to her. It had crept up on her without her knowing, and it had taken hold. It was stronger than it had been with Alex, more intense.

"I... Sorry." Leo mumbled. "I shouldn't have..."

"Don't be." She replied. "Don't be sorry."

"Piper..." He breathed. "I... I think I love you..."


	6. Worst Fear Come True

Chapter 6 - Worst Fear... Come True

Paige cut off the baby talk when the doorbell rang, and looked towards the kitchen door, then back at her niece. She swung the girl into her arms, then carried her into the foyer, Parker beside her. Opening the door, she smiled blankly at the guy stood in front of her. He was short, slightly balding, wearing a grey pinstriped suit and a worried expression.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Do you live here?" He asked her anxiously.

"Uh... yeah..."

"I'm so sorry, I just crashed my car into the one parked outside - It was an accident, I swerved to avoid a cat -"

"My car?" Paige gasped. "Is it bad?" She stepped forward.

"No, no -" The man turned and started walking, and Paige followed him. She'd barely gone two steps before the man spun round and grinned at her. "The car's fine." He smirked.

"Bu - Wh -?" And suddenly, he changed. Right before her eyes, he grew taller, his hair darkened and thickened, his eyes turned from hazel to almost black, and his face thinned and became more defined.

"Alex." Paige gasped.

"Zander." He corrected, reaching out for Gracie. Paige spun away from him.

"Run, Parker, into the house." She gasped, and the boy obediently ran. "Leo! Piper! Leo!" Paige screamed, stepping after him. Unable to run properly because of the child she was holding, it didn't take much effort for him to knock her to the ground. She rolled the best she could to avoid landing on Gracie, and he took the chance, bending over her and closing his hand around his daughters arm... and shimmering out...

"No!" Paige tried to keep hold of her, but her arms closed around thin air. "No..."

----

Piper didn't have a chance to answer him, as his eyes widened. He grabbed her arm and orbed them, while she tried to get her thoughts straight. "Leo, what's -" They orbed just inside the manor door, Leo let go of her and ran out into the garden.

Hearing her name cried out, Piper turned towards her nephew. "Parker? What's wrong?" She asked as he ran towards her. He buried his face in her legs, and suddenly, cold dread spread over her.

"Where's Gracie?" She asked, and Parker shrugged. "Paige! Paige!" She let go of the boy and ran after Leo... and as soon as she saw him helping the sobbing mess of her sister to her feet, she new. "He took her..." She whispered.

"I'm so sorry." Paige sobbed. "I tried to get away... he shimmered her out..."

Piper didn't hear anything else, her ears were filled with a loud, terrified scream...And even when she realised she was the one screaming, she couldn't stop.

----

Zander shimmered back into the cave he'd spent the last month or so living in. It was the same cave he had taken Piper too all that time ago, and although he had abandoned it, in case the grandmother came after him, he felt it was somehow symbolic. So when he'd decided to abandon the plan to do the same to a different witch and go after Piper again, he'd returned to the place he'd once thought of as some kind of home.

He carried Gracie over to the large stone table in the centre of the cavern. It hadn't been there before; he'd traded for it just a week ago. It was a special table, and he'd spent a long time looking for it, and had to kill one of the demons he needed in order to get the power to trade for. But sacrifices had to be made.

He set the girl on top, right in the centre, then trailed his fingers over the markings around the side. He didn't know what they were, what they meant, or even what language they were, but he knew that they were the key to unbinding his daughter's powers.

Carkan finally shimmered in, and his strangely wide mouth circled into a smile when he saw the child.

"It worked." He nodded.

"What's Piper doing?" Zander smirked, wishing he could have seen her reaction - with any look the shock would kill her...

"Screaming." Carkan laughed. "Screaming the street down. And the other witch - her sister - is crying. The whitelighter doesn't have a clue. They won't be able to stop us."

"Good. Has he brought it yet?"

"Not yet. He went to get it just after you left."

"How much longer?" Zander said, glancing at Gracie. He'd heard a lot about mortal babies, and how they cried. The baby looked up at him, right into his dark eyes, and, as though she had read his mind, opened her mouth and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Make it stop!" Carkan yelled, while Zander stared helplessly.

"Shut up!" He commanded, but Gracie didn't flinch. Carkan raised his hand, formed a fireball...

"No!" Zander snapped. "No."

"Sorry, boss." Carkan died it out quickly. "Reaction..."

"Quiet, child." Zander snapped. Gracie screamed louder. "Silence!" He shouted.

Just when they thought she'd never stop, another demon shimmered in, and Gracie silenced, her face bearing a shocked impression.

"Quickly, quickly." Zander snapped, reaching out for the small glass bottle the demon held. As soon as he had it, Zander nodded at Carkan, who shot a fireball at the unsuspecting demon. Zander had learned a long time ago that the less demons involved, the less messy things got. Now there was just him and Carkan left.

Zander looked down at the burgundy liquid in the glass vial, smiling as the plan finally came together...

----

"These potions will take hours!" Piper fretted. "We can't wait that long! He could do anything to her!"

"Right, but we can't go anywhere until we have our powers. Or a vanquishing potion." Prue pointed out. Piper was pacing the floor in the attic while her sisters gathered ingredients together. She had never been in here before - this was where Grams' magic supplies were, and the Book of Shadows. Ridiculously, she had been apposed to getting their powers to protect Gracie... and now they were the only thing that could save her.

"Grams _told _me she'd made an unbinding potion for us, in case we ever needed it. She _showed_ me it!"

"But we can't find it." Phoebe said. "We'll have to make our own."

"We've never made it before. What if it goes wrong and we end up with two heads or something?" Piper snapped, opening another of the little trinket boxes that cluttered the shelves. A few little velvet bags were inside, containing different coloured powers, but no little glass bottles.

"Maybe we should check her bedroom." Piper decided.

"But she kept the magic stuff in the attic." Paige protested, as Piper strode towards the door.

"Go with her." Prue said quickly. "We shouldn't be alone."

Piper paused as she stepped into her late grandmother's room, and Paige literally walked into her. It was the first time any of them had ventured inside, and Piper felt an overwhelming sense of loss as she looked at the things that littered the room, as though waiting for there owner to come back, as though Grams would walk through the door any second...

"Piper?" Paige murmured.

"Um, yeah." Piper stepped quickly forwards, fought the tears. She would come back in here later, after they got Gracie back, and grieve properly for her grandmother.

"Are you OK?" Paige asked quietly.

"Yeah, yes, I... I just, you know, was too worried about Gracie to mourn her..." Piper confessed.

"It's understandable. Come on, let's get looking."

As they moved around the room, intruding, Piper thought, on her Grams' things, Piper broke the awkward silence. "How's Parker?"

The moments after Gracie's kidnap had now become blurred. She remembered Prue and Phoebe arriving, Prue calling Andy and making him take Parker out, anywhere until it was safe, then unlocking the attic and trying to work out what to do...

"He's... OK, I guess. I don't think he understood it, really. Andy'll do his best to cheer him up. Spoil him a little."

"Right." Piper opened the large jewellery box on the shelf, admired the antiques that were inside. She opened one of the little drawers, expecting to find a few pairs of earrings, old rings maybe... but what she saw made her cry out.

"Found it!" She yelled, holding up the tiny vial. "I told you -"

"There's only one." Paige said. "We still have to make more, we still have to wait..."

----

"Ready?" Carkan asked, and Zander nodded, uncorked the vial. He stepped forward, and Gracie fixed him with a stare. She opened her mouth, no doubt to cry again, but before she could make a sound, Zander had emptied the liquid into her mouth. She couched, swallowed, then glowed a deep, rich red...

----

"Look, we can't just wait around her. You guys make the potions as fast as you can, and just join me when you're ready!"

"No!" Prue cried. "You can't go alone! Are you crazy?"

"No. I have to save her." Piper said simply. "I'll drink this, Leo can send me to her, and I can hold him off until you guys get there."

"No." Prue stated. "He'll kill you."

"He could kill her." Piper replied.

"He wont. You know he wont, you know he wants her alive." Phoebe countered.

"Well, he could turn her evil." Piper replied. "We won't know what to do then. _I can't lose her_."

"Look, I'll go with Piper." Leo said. "I can orb her out if she needs it."

Her sisters looked at each other, then finally Prue turned to Leo. "You make sure she's OK. Make sure both of them are."

Piper nodded, uncorked the vial and tossed the potion down her throat. It burned as it went down, then she felt strangely hot. And then... normal.

"OK, make it quick." She said, gesturing the scattered bowls and bags on the table.

"We will. And Piper... Be careful." Prue murmured.

"I will." Piper grabbed Leo's arm, and as her vision turned white she took a deep breath...


	7. In Control

Chapter 7 - In Control

"Do you know what powers she'll have?" Carkan asked.

"A force-field is pretty likely." Zander replied. "Probably some Charmed powers, too. And mine... Throw a fireball at her."

"And have her send it back on me?!" Carkan protested.

"She'll probably just send up a force-field -"

"I'm not willing to take that chance." Carkan replied.

"Fine." Zander formed his own energy ball, sent it at Gracie then shimmered away. It wasn't like he expected - she didn't send a force-field out. Instead, her eyes glowed green and the energy ball turned into ashes which dropped to the floor.

Piper and Leo had orbed in just in time to see it, and Piper gasped. Zander spun round, and his eyes registered shock when he saw her.

"What are you doing here?" He snapped.

"Picking my daughter up." Piper said sweetly.

"Tough. She's mine now."

"No, she isn't. She never was, she never will be."

"I gave her her powers back. You - you kept her powerless, mortal." He sneered. "You don't deserve her."

"I don't deserve her?" Piper repeated. "As far as you're concerned, she's just power, nothing more."

"Piper, Piper, Piper. What do you hope to achieve? You were always too weak to fight me. You can't stop me. Leave, and I may not kill you."

"Like I believe that." Piper scoffed.

"Really." He smirked. "I'd much rather she did that..."

"Gracie?" Piper raised her eyebrow.

"If she kills, she'll be evil." Leo muttered.

"Exactly." Zander nodded. "So, shut up and leave."

"No. This time, I will fight you." Piper replied.

"Without powers?"

"Who says I don't have any?"

"You were always too scared to have them." Zander mocked.

"Really?" She raised her hands, flicked them at him - and smiled as the blast she cause caused him to stumble. She couldn't kill him, not with her powers, but she could hurt him, she could hurt him as much as he'd hurt her...

"You... But..."

"I guess you didn't know me that well after all." Piper smiled. She felt stronger, and she wasn't scared of him. Not anymore. She blasted him again, and this time he fell backwards. "I'm in control now, Alex."

He sent a fireball her way, but before it reached her, it turned into ashes. Piper glanced at Gracie, who was smiling and waving her arms.

"No matter how many powers you give her, she still knows who her mother is." Piper said. She blasted him again, and again, and again, unable to stop, releasing all her emotions on to him.

The other demon moved towards Gracie - she blasted him too. He shimmered out, scared, leaving Zander alone.

"Get Gracie." Piper hissed, as Zander tried to pick himself up. "Take her home. I'll stay here." She blasted him yet again.

"No way. I'll get her, and get the both of you away."

"But he'll come after us, before we're ready." Piper protested.

"I don't care." Leo hissed back, and for the first time since Gracie had been taken, she remembered the words he'd spoken on that cliff. _I think I love you..._

"OK, get her." She murmured, and he orbed quickly to the table. Piper blasted him again, desperate not to let him see Leo orb next to Gracie. He didn't, and when Leo orbed next to her a second later, she aimed one last blast at him before Leo grabbed her round the waist and orbed them out.

----

"You got her!" Paige cried as they appeared. Leo handed the baby to Piper, who held her close and nodded.

"He'll be here, soon. Nearly done?"

"A few minutes. It needs to set." Phoebe's said.

"Which one?"

"The vanquishing one." Paige answered. "The unbinding is all..." she dropped the last ingredient in, and a cloud of smoke billowed up. "... done..."

"Good, come on." As Prue and Paige ladled it into cups, Piper hugged Gracie tightly.

"It's OK, we're OK." She murmured. "He unbound her powers." She added to her sisters. "She dissolved his fireballs."

"Really?" Phoebe grinned. "Wow..."

----

"Carkan!" Zander yelled. "Get back here! I need you to help me!" When nothing happened, he launched a fire ball at the wall angrily, then shimmered out.

He appeared in the attic in the manor, looking around himself furiously. He'd _had _her. And he wouldn't let that _witch_ get away with it.

They were ready for him. The potion was done, and Piper held the bottle clasped in her hand. Their powers were unbound, Leo had orbed Gracie somewhere safe. They were ready.

"Took your time." Piper remarked cooly. Zander stared at her, shocked by how confident she sounded. He hadn't known her like this... She was weaker than this...

"Any last words?" Prue asked him.

"Last..." He murmured. He realised what would happen the second before she raised her hand. He started to shimmer away, but it was too late. The potion was flying towards him, and it shattered at his feet. The liquid spread over his feet, and an unbearable heat spread up his legs, higher.

He didn't scream, although he wanted to. He himself had vanquished demons, but he never could have imagined the pain. The burning, the knowledge than you were dying. He fixed Piper with his stare, possessing too much pride to show her how much she was hurting him. And yet by the satisfied smile on her face, he knew she must know.

Piper watched the flames jumped higher, and then, an almighty explosion... He was gone. It was over.

"You did it." Prue whispered.


	8. One Day

Well guys, this is the last chapter...

Chapter 8 - One Day

The next day was bright and sunny, one of those days that happened so often in California, and yet somehow Piper felt it was different to all the others. The bright, warm sun represented her new life...

"When did I get so poetic?" She muttered to herself as she lifted Gracie out of the cot. Piper was smiling. Not looking nervously around her, but smiling. In the last twenty four hours she had talked so much her throat hurt. It had taken a long time, a lot of coffee and a long heart-to-heart, but Piper had accepted that she was a witch, she was born to be a witch, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. So, at Phoebe suggestion, she had agreed to just "sit back and enjoy the show".

Gracie wasn't just a witch, but half demon. And o one seemed to know what that would mean. Piper knew it would be different, but - after her daughter had saved her life - she knew they didn't have to worry about her being evil. Not really.

The heart to heart had done more though. She had finally talked to them, really talked, about everything, about all her fears, that, now he was gone, she didn't have to worry about anymore. Except... she couldn't stop worrying about that other demon, the one that had been helping Zander. He was still out there, and although she was sure he was just Zander's lapdog, she couldn't help but fret.

But she was happier, than she had been in a while, and she felt so much like her old self again. Now she could just enjoy life, enjoy being a mother.

And, finally, she could ignore it no more. Leo. So much had happened in the time that had passed after his little revelation, but now she had to talk to him. Had to. She'd tried to plan what to say, but nothing sounded right. In the end, she decided that when the moment came, she'd know.

She put Gracie in her high chair in the kitchen, accepted Paige's offer to feed her, then went back upstairs. And waited. He knew they needed to talk too, he was bound to orb in soon... she knew he would...

Barely ten minutes past before he orbed in, with a soft "hi".

"Hi." She murmured shyly, and for the first time appreciated how hard this would be for her, too. "We... we need to talk..."

"I know." Strangely, she got the impression he knew what she was going to say, too. But she had to say it anyway...

"Maybe we could go back to that cliff." She suggested.

"Sure." He reached out and took her hand, and a second later they were there.

The sun wasn't setting this time, it was high in the sky, shining brightly on them. But she sat on the grass anywhere, and turned to face him.

She felt strangely free now she knew Zander wasn't able to hurt her or Gracie. Different. More like she used to be, before him, more herself. But she was still getting used to it, to being able to trust her sisters, not look over her shoulder...

She told all this to Leo, then trailed off. How could she say it?

"When you told me - you thought - you know -"

"I don't just think it anymore." He admitted. "I know it. I love you."

"I... I love you. I do, and believe me, it scares the hell out of me that I let it happen. But I'm not sorry..."

"So where does this leave us?" He asked her quietly. He knew, he understood. She didn't have to worry about his reaction. He was good guy, she knew that.

"I'm just not ready." she whispered. "I just can't be in a relationship right now. I need to spend some time with my daughter, my family..."

"I know." He whispered. He kissed her lightly, then nodded.

"One day... We will be together." She promised. "I can feel it..."

"I know." He repeated. "Come on..." He pulled her to her feet, then into hug. While she clung to him, he orbed them home...

* * *

The End. 


	9. AN: Sequel

Hiya it's a little bit late and I don't think the alerts are working anyway (mine arn't, dunno about the rest of you) but it just hit me that I should but one of these up on this. The sequel IS up, I put the first chapter up a few days ago. It's called Broken Bonds, and you can find it via my profile.

Hope everyone had a merry xmas, and will have a happy new year.


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